Lithuanian Radio and Television

MARTUTAITIENĖ Dalia, Vilnius

Already my second night by the Lithuanian Television and Radio Center, January 13th leaves me with the most terrible memories of my entire life.

Someone from the crowd shouted that tanks were coming. You could hear their noise, but they turned towards the television tower. 5 minutes had barely passed when we saw an ambulance coming, followed by tanks and personnel carriers. Brutal paratroopers quickly jumped out of them, and squatting down a bit, began to shoot at us, the three rows of people standing by the RTV building. We chanted: “Lithuania!" I hoped they wouldn't shoot at us - unarmed peaceful people. Behind us, a driver sitting in a bus shouted that we needed a doctor and an ambulance.

Then we began to chant: “Fascists! Shame!" Tank guns thundered. The windows of the radio building and nearby houses shattered. That thundering was not alone. The ground shook under our feet. At intervals, everything sank into thick clouds of smoke. Clouds of gas moved in, and shells were exploding. A young man nearby fell face down. Two others carried him to an ambulance.When the lights went off, the light from the tank searchlights broke the darkness. Explosives were thrown into the larger groups of people, tommy guns were being fired, and people were being beaten. I led one man who was staggering and pressing his head with both hands to a flat in one of the neighboring houses because there weren't any ambulances around. I asked the people to call an ambulance. He explained that a paratrooper hit him on the head with a gun-butt.

As terrible as it was, the people didn't disperse. Over a loudspeaker came the words: ..Brothers and sisters, we don't want blood to be spilt, everyone return to your homes." But outside, clouds of gas continued to rise, tanks were emitting smoke shields, the lights went off, shells were exploding and windows continued to break.

People, with tears in their eyes, shouted:- „What are you doing, fascists?"

The soldiers' faces were awful, drunk.

Over the loudspeaker they announced that power had been passed into the hands of the workers and the peasants.